From Heaven Above
by chuffed-git
Summary: "Are you an angel?" she asked, and he chuckled, darkly. She'd never know how opposite an angel he was.


**From Heaven Above***

By chuffed-git

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the Twilight Series.

_**What Ever Happened (Prologue)**_

_Dachau, Germany; 1942_

_The land was dark, and gray, and had a certain eerie stillness and quiet that made him feel uncomfortable. He stood on a hill, a short distance away from a fence, closing off a camp that seemed to have no life whatsoever, besides a rat scurrying alongside one of the poorly constructed, wooden buildings. He closed his eyes and tried to block out all the haunting thoughts that rushed towards him as he stood. _

_One thought stood out. One that wasn't like the rest. One that wasn't terrified or broken-spirited, but merely curious. He opened his eyes and found the source. A small girl was standing on the outside of the fence, near a small bush, her long wavy hair moving slightly as a small breeze passed. _

_Concerned, he made his way down a small hill and towards the girl. He stood next to her for a moment before kneeling beside her. She couldn't have been older than six or seven, and was standing with her hands in the pockets of her grey pea coat, looking with large eyes into the concentration camp._

"_Little girl," he said gently. "You shouldn't be here."_

_She turned towards him, her dark blue eyes standing out against her pale skin and dark hair. "I want to go inside. I want to play with the other children," she said in an innocent voice. "Why can't I?"_

_Not knowing what to say to this, he pursed his lips and glanced around before returning his gaze to the child. "What's your name," he asked her gently. _

"_Adriane," she replied smiling. "What's yours?"_

"_Edward," he replied. As the small child looked at him with admiration, he suddenly felt a sudden desire to protect her and keep her away from any harm. He reached out and pet her head. "_Komm_, we should get you home, Adriane." He gently tugged her arm but she yanked it away and stepped closer to the fence, gripping the chain with each of her small hands. _

"_But I want to go inside," she stated. She didn't take her eyes away from the camp for a moment. "Will you take me?"_

"Nein_!" Edward said sharply, making Adriane turn to him suddenly with wide eyes. He sighed. "You're _Mutti _and_ Vati_ are probably looking for you. You don't want to worry them, do you?" She shook her head slowly. Edward held out his hand. "Will you come with me?" _

_She blinked her eyes once and before sliding her small hand into his large one. Edward stood slowly and began walking back up the hill with the little girl taking two steps for every one he took. She hummed a small tune and swung their hands happily. Edward wasn't sure if it was her innocence that made him want to protect her, or the fact that he had hurt and killed so many people, and wanted to, for once, save someone instead. He tried to not think about it as he let her sweet thoughts flow into his mind._

_As she led Edward toward the town she lived, he noticed it getting more and more like the slums that the Jewish people had been sentenced to. "Edward?" came the sweet voice of the girl next to him. He looked down at her._

"_Hmm?"_

"_Are you an angel?" she said, drawing out the last word. He chuckled, darkly. "Because you look like an angel, and you sound like one, too!"_

_He couldn't help but think about how opposite an angel he was, but he quickly dismissed it as he realized Adriane slowing to a stop. He looked at he buildings around him. Doors were smashed in, and windows were broken, and the items that belonged inside were strewn over the street. Edward quickly realized that the neighborhood had been raided, and the lack of humanity gave him a hunch that soldiers had taken the Jewish people who lived there to the concentration camps around the country. _

_Adriane gasped and ran to the doorway of a nearby home. "Mutti? Vati?" she exclaimed into the house. She held completely still waiting for a response. _"Mutti! Vati!" _Edward quickly walked over to her as she started to crawl into the house through the rubble. He held onto her arm, and she turned to face him, tears brimming. "Where are Mutti and Vati?" she said sadly. _

_Not know what else to say, Edward kneeled down beside her and said, "We'll go find them. Don't worry."_

_Adriane sniffled and nodded, not breaking eye contact with Edward. She reached out and placed her hand in his again and he stood up slowly. Together they walked away from the house and down the cobblestone street in a direction Edward knew would lead them back to the part of the city where he and his family stayed. _

_They were leaving today. Things were getting out of hand in Germany, and Esme and Carlisle wanted nothing more than to get away from all the destruction. Edward was more than ready to leave, but now felt a responsibility to get this girl to safety, though he had a horrible feeling that her parents were taken to a camp, or worse, killed. _

_The sound of heavy boots around the corner brought Edward from his thoughts. He swiftly bent down and picked Adriane up and cradled her on his hip as she held onto him tightly. _

"_Hey!" called a deep, stern voice. "You there!"_

_Adriane tightened her grip. Edward didn't turn around right away. "Don't say anything," he whispered firmly to Adriane. She nodded once. _

"_Hey! Boy! I'm talking to you!" came the same voice, only closer this time. Edward turned to face two young men in uniforms and stoic features. Their blonde hair was parted neatly to the side. The more menacing looking one walked to the dishelved houses and peaked inside each of them._

"_Is something wrong, sir?" Edward said innocently, but unsmiling._

_The officer looked Edward over. "What do you think you're doing here?"_

"_On my way home, sir," he said, not missing a beat. _

"_State your name."_

"_Edward Cullen."_

_The officer hesitated. "Cullen? Carlisle Cullen's boy?" Edward nodded. "The slums are an odd place for someone of your status to be roaming around."_

"_We're just passing through. I'm afraid we got a bit lost." Adriane was watching the soldier intently, but did not loosen her grip on Edward. _

"_Who's this?" the blonde haired man asked, motioning to the girl in Edward's arms. _

"_My cousin," Edward said shortly. The officer raised an eyebrow but seemed to accept that answer. "We should be on our way. We don't want to cause any trouble." He turned on the spot and began walking swiftly away, not letting go of Adriane. _

"_That's a lie!" the other officer said, speaking for the first time. "That girl's a Jew. We collected her family earlier today, but she ran!"_

_Edward halted, not knowing what he should do. When he heard quickened paces coming toward him, however, he told Adriane to shut her eyes, and then took off at inhuman speed toward the city. _

_He stopped running when he reached an alley around the corner from the large townhouse where he lived. Adriane opened her eyes and looked around, amazed, before turned to Edward and gazed at him, mesmerized. Edward paid no mind and quickly walked to his front door and rushed inside. _

_Esme and Carlisle were standing in the foyer with packed bags. The furniture was covered with white sheets and there was nothing on the walls. Edward pushed past them without a second glance. "Edward!" Esme called to him as he climbed the stairs. She and Carlisle followed him up. "Edward, what's going on?"_

_Edward didn't respond as they walked down the hall and into what was once Edward's room. He let Adriane down and opened the closet door. "Esme, will you go get as many preserves as you can from the shop?" Esme hesitated but then looked at the frightened face of the girl. She nodded and rushed out of the room. _

"_Edward, who is this?" Carlisle asked, standing behind his son as he looked around the room for blankets and pillows. He found some and put them in a pile beside the closet. "Edward?" Carlisle asked more sternly._

"_Her name is Adriane. Her family was taken away." He opened a camouflaged door in the back of the closet, revealing a small room. He laid out a thick blanket on the floor of the room and put the pillows inside. "Do you have a lantern?" he asked hurriedly. _

"_Edward, we cannot let her stay here," Carlisle said with a sigh. _

"_I won't leave her to be killed!" Edward said sharply. Carlisle sighed. He understood Edward's desire to help this girl in need. He nodded and left the room to get a lantern and some matches._

_Esme returned with more than enough food. Edward also slid that into the safe room and Carlisle gave him some other basic necessities to survive. When everything was in the room, Edward turned to his parents. "Get the car ready. We have to leave immediately." They left without question. Edward, who was already on the ground, turned to Adriane, whose eyes were glassy and wide. _

"_You're leaving?" she asked frantically. "Don't leave me, Edward!" She ran forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held onto her for a moment before gently pulling away. _

"_I have to go, Adriane, but you'll be okay," he said gently. Tears were now flowing freely down her rosy cheeks, giving Edward a horrible pain in his chest. "Listen to me, Adriane. No matter what, you have to stay hidden. Do not come out if someone knocks, or comes into the house, anything. Do you understand me? This is very important."_

_With a pouted lip and teary eyes, Adriane nodded. "I'm scared," she said sadly. "I don't want to be alone!" She sobbed into Edward's chest as he hugged her. _

"_Shh," he said comfortingly. Carlisle called him from below. "I have to go now."_

"_No!"_

"_It's okay, Adriane. You're going to be okay," he said as he motioned for her to crawl into the room. Once she was inside, she turned around and looked at Edward. Remembering what she had said before, Edward kissed her forehead and gently saying comforting words into her ear before walking out the door._

"_I'll be watching over you."_

_*Subject to change_


End file.
